Soft chemical synthesis and electrochemical properties of tin oxide-based materials as anodes for lithium ion batteries

A novel soft chemical approach was developed to synthesize tin oxide-based powders. The microstructure, morphology, and electrochemical performance of the materials were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope and electrochemical methods. The results show that the particles of tin oxide-based materials form an interconnected network structure like mesoporous material. The average size of the particles is about 200 nm. The materials deliver a charge capacity of more than 570 mA·h·g−1. And the capacity loss per cycle is about 0.15% after being cycled for 30 times. The good electrochemical performance indicates that tin oxide-based materials are promising anodes for lithium ion batteries.